5th Sep 2007, 08:47

I can envision 2 Prius to take a family with luggage on a trip or just one domestic SUV necessary to carry all. I also can see a Prius being towed by retirees that own mobile homes and unhitch them at campgrounds. I can also envision a very large out of warranty bill to fix one down the road that only a dealership could handle. I can also see someone living very far away to get to their job buying one instead of moving closer to work and likely using considerably less fuel. I have a very comfortable domestic SUV and work 3 miles away and on weekends can easily carry the entire family and can converse and be together. Its seems more practical in my opinion to consider all the options besides fuel only.

2nd Jan 2008, 22:05

I have a 1987 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, 187,000 miles on it that I paid 650 dollars for, gets better gas mileage, and pulled my buddies H2 over an 8" hump that it got stuck on. All these things are is for EGO! I mean COME ON!!! give it up. these things are all for image.

14th Jan 2008, 08:50

Hi all, I'm from the UK, and have a big interest in all cars.

One thing all Prius and Insight etc. owners seem to be forgetting/haven't mentioned... the batteries used in the Prius and Insights have a life expectancy of approx. 6yrs/60k miles before they need replacing at about $4k in US dollars! On top of that what do you think happens to the old batteries? The disposal of all those batteries used in the Prius etc. will inevitably create more so called 'pollution' than any 4x4 or SUV would over a 20 year period. Fact!

This comes from a hot hatch driver so totally unbiased, the green peace nonsense has gone way OTT.

As long as people drive those big 4x4's responsibly i.e. not trying to tailgate or knock people off the road, I don't see the big deal people are making out of it, I personally like them for what they were made for (going off road!) I wouldn't want to drive one everyday, but they are fun on a course!.

I want to see the proof that these 4x4's are responsible for any climate change or any other car for that matter! You want to know something Greenpeace? The big rig lorries and wagons that deliver all our goods up and down the roads day after day, do approximately 4mpg! LOL what you gonna do, make everyone starve??? Haha.

14th Jun 2008, 16:27

I dislike Hummers, as I dislike most SUVs/trucks. Not because they're ugly, too big, whatever - because they're wasteful. They waste gas. A natural resource. A LIMITED resource - it won't be around forever. One we are mostly dependent on foreign countries for. High gas prices? You can't possibly make an argument that gas-guzzlers aren't helping to hike those prices. The larger the demand, the higher the prices. It's a contributing factor.

We should all be able to pursue happiness - Yes, this is America, land of getting what we want and living how we want, but honestly... that's not sustainable. A country cannot operate and last and be successful on a long-term basis when it's population is living with such a selfish mindset. It is not sustainable. Again. It Is Not Sustainable.

Everyone has to do their part, in some way - no, this doesn't mean abandoning driving and buying a bike, eating tofu for every meal and buying only organic, etc., etc. Just be mindful and aware of what impact your choices have on ALL of us. This includes the environment, everyone's safety, gas prices, the economy, everything. There are always repercussions to living a wasteful, greedy life.

You don't have to go out and buy a Prius either. I don't understand that - why people feel like the only gas-saving option is to buy a hybrid. I drive an eight year old sedan that gets 32mpg in combined city-highway driving. Hybrids, at this point, are wasteful too. The energy that goes into producing them, especially those batteries... come on. And the price tag? Hybrids are a good possibility, but not yet. There's a lot of kinks that need to be worked out.

My bottom line is that people do not NEED an SUV or truck unless their livelihood depends on it... they're a rancher, farmer, construction worker, etc. People confuse wants with needs. An SUV might make things easier at times... but do you NEED it? No.

15th Jun 2008, 14:13

"My bottom line is that people do not NEED an SUV or truck unless their livelihood depends on it... they're a rancher, farmer, construction worker, etc. "

That's not really up to you to decide, though, is it? You don't know what people use them for, or why they have them. Maybe they needed a vehicle, and happened to get a really good deal on an SUV. Maybe they only drive it 3,000 miles per year, and it gets 25 mpg. But you don't care about that. You only know that when you see it on the highway, you hate it. Why do people have to justify anything to you? Go ahead and drive your 8-year old sedan if it fits your needs. Nobody is stopping you. But you seem to think that everybody else is wrong except you.

22nd Jun 2008, 17:52

See, now you're jumping to conclusions. I didn't say anybody is wrong or anybody is right. I recognize that different people need and want different things - it depends on your job, where you live, the size of your family, etc. etc.

My feelings do not come from just "seeing SUVs on the highway", they come from being friends with, co-workers with, and family to SUV and truck owners, and even strangers I've talked to about it (See, you're making assumptions too). Less than a handful have actually needed it in the true sense of the word - they depended on it to live (owned or worked in a business that *required* the ability to haul), and one just had a lot of kids. Every other answer I've heard has been that they simply like it, or they feel safer in it. Neither of those is a *need*.

My point boils down to wanting vs. needing. I believe in conserving and doing whatever is in your power to contribute to that. Driving something that gets <20 mpg is far from conserving. Again, it goes back to my previous comment - it's not sustainable on a long term basis for a population to live with only their own interest in mind. You have to consider the domino effect of so many decisions you make, how they impact the entire economy, the environment, others' health. But people don't care about that - they want what they want when they want it and don't want to hear anything different or consider other options. That's an American mindset in particular, and one that's gotten us in quite a bit of trouble. I just can't see why so many don't want to admit or recognize that.

SUVs and trucks are for the most part wasteful. So are some older sedans. So are hybrids, in terms of the energy that goes into manufacturing them. I should have been clearer in my initial comment - if it's wasteful we should be making every effort to avoid driving those vehicles. It has to do with the responsibility each of us has towards our community and our planet. You complain about rising food prices... rising gas prices... rising taxes... rising everything... yet you're part of the problem. You consume and purchase more than you need, finance things you don't need and that many can't afford and never finish paying off... etc. It's all tied together. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

If you want to drive an SUV or truck... sure, go for it. But you have no right whatsoever to complain about the cost of gas, insurance, your car payment, or even the cost of living. You no longer have a leg to stand on. Lie in the bed you make.